Doing business in Lithuania: Environmental rules
27 April 2012by Ina Dimireva -- last modified 27 April 2012
Legislation in Lithuania has set out environmental rules that businesses have to follow in order to be able to operate.
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Legal requirements
Main legal acts relating to state control of environmental protection:
Law on Environmental Protection
Law on State Control of Environmental Protection
Law on Environmental Monitoring
Environmental control
The extent of collection, and the procedure of collection and provision of information about the environmental situation are regulated by:
Law on Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Monitoring Programme for 2005-2010
Rules of Environmental Monitoring
The website of the Environmental Protection Agency provides:
Information about pollution prevention
Land development
The main legal acts regulating land development are:
Special Conditions for the Use of Land and Forests
Law on Environmental Impact Assessment of the Proposed Economic Activity
Waste management
The main legal acts regulating waste management are:
Regulations for Waste Management
State Strategic Plan for Waste Management
Noise protection
The main legal act regulating noise management is the Law on Noise Management. It assigns the competency for noise management to various institutions, e.g. the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, etc.
Noise protection is also provided for in technical regulations for construction, regulations for aircraft noise limitation, rules on limit values for noise from road vehicle motors, etc.
Nuclear safety
The main legal acts regulating nuclear safety are:
Law on the Management of Radioactive Waste
The website of the Environmental Protection Agency provides:
System of legal acts regulating nuclear energy safety
Businesses are free to go beyond the minimum environmental legal requirements at their own initiative.
Administrative procedures
Declaratory procedures
Land development
More information about land development procedures is provided on:
Website of State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate
Waste management
More information about waste management is provided on:
Website of the Ministry of Environment
Chemicals
It is mandatory to register all chemicals if a manufacturer produces or an importer imports more than 1 ton of a chemical per year in accordance with the procedure provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals.
Information about chemicals:
Website of the Ministry of Environment
Website of the Environmental Protection Agency
Water
Information about water is provided on:
Website of the Ministry of Environment
Website of the Environmental Protection Agency
Climate and air
Those carrying out activities must prepare greenhouse gas emission record reports by 31 March of every year, and, after inspection by an independent assessor, submit them to the regional environmental protection department that issued the TIPK or GIN permit along with a certificate of confirmation of suitability.
Information about the regulation of the atmosphere and air is provided on:
Website of the Ministry of Environment
Website of the Environmental Protection Agency
Nuclear safety
The State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) performs state regulation and control of nuclear safety.
Permits and licences
In order to operate objects of economic activity or to perform economic activities, it is necessary to receive an Integrated Prevention and Control of Pollution permit.
Regulations for Integrated Prevention and Control of Pollution Permits
Information about Integrated Prevention and Control of Pollution permits
Chemicals
A person planning to carry out activities with poisonous materials must receive a permit to acquire, sell or otherwise transfer poisonous materials.
Regulations for the Issuance of Permits to Acquire, Sell or Transfer Poisonous Materials
Climate and air
When carrying out certain activities whereby carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted, a permit to emit greenhouse gas must be received.
Procedure for the Issuance of Tradable Greenhouse Gas Pollution Permits
A permit to emit greenhouse gas is an adjusted natural resource use permit or an Integrated Prevention and Control of Pollution permit issued by the regional environmental protection departments of the Ministry of Environment.
Noise protection
A list of types of economic and commercial activities for which a permit-hygiene passport is necessary as well as the regulations for the issuance of permits-hygiene passports are provided here:
Regulations for the Issuance of Permits-Hygiene Passports
Information about permits-hygiene passports
Nuclear safety
Licences related to nuclear activities are issued by VATESI, however the requester must receive approvals for the issuance of a licence from other institutions participating in the process.
VATESI issues a licence within 30 days of receiving the documents.
Rules on the Licensing of Nuclear Energy Activities
Permits and licences being issued by VATESI
Inspections
Chemicals
Control of EU regulations in the area of chemicals and control of implementation of the requirements of the Lithuanian Law on Chemical Substances and Preparations as well as of other legal acts is performed by:
State Environmental Protection Inspectorate
State Non-Food Products Inspectorate
Climate and air
Regional environmental protection departments of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania perform control of the observance of the conditions provided in Integrated Prevention and Control of Pollution permits.
Noise protection
State control of noise is performed by the:
Ministry of Environment
Ministry of Communications, and
Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of the Interior performs noise control in residential buildings, on private property, and in public areas.
Nuclear protection
The State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) performs inspections and checks.
VATESI inspects organisations operating nuclear energy objects, other licensees, and requesters seeking to receive a licence.
VATESI may also inspect organisations that provide services to them.
Resources
Lists of standards and legal acts relating to environmental protection:
Published environmental standards
International agreements of the Ministry of Environment in the area of environmental protection
List of environmental protection laws
Programmes
The Lithuanian Environmental Investment Fund (LEIF) aims to support the public and private sectors in implementing environmental projects and projects to reduce the negative impact of economic activities on the environment.
Lithuanian Environmental Investment Fund
Investment projects are financed through LEIF by providing soft loans and subsidies:
- Loans are only provided to finance environmental protection projects worth up to 1.5 million litas.
- The subsidy to one beneficiary may not exceed 600,000 litas over three years, and is limited to 70% of the total amount of the environmental protection investment project.
Source: Your Europe
